Wednesday, February 1, 2012

California Latino Senator severs ties with Komen organization

Sacramento – California State
Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) today announced his decision to sever ties
with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For the past few years he has lent
his name as a “Pink Tie Guy” in Los Angeles County. Padilla said his
decision was in direct response to the Komen organization severing ties with Planned
Parenthood.

“Planned Parenthood has performed
more than 4 million breast exams over the past five years, nearly 170,000 of
these exams were funded by Komen grants. By terminating these grants, Komen
will be denying access to tens of thousands of women. These are critical
services in communities of need. That is not consistent with Komen’s
stated mission as I understand it,” said Senator Padilla.

“Komen has placed its supporters in
the untenable position of aligning themselves with acquiescence to the agenda
of the religious right, or aligning themselves with healthcare and breast
cancer organizations that will not bow to such pressures. The choice is clear
to me. I choose the latter,” said Senator Padilla.

Senator Padilla served as a
volunteer “Pink Tie Guy.” Pink Tie Guys are civic leaders and ambassadors
for the Komen organization who wear pink ties at public events and raise
awareness about breast cancer.

Senator Alex Padilla represents
more than 900,000 residents of the 20th State Senate District which includes
most of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. You can find more
information on Senator Padilla at his website or follow him at
his Fan Page on Facebook